


Phantom

by hadesisqueer



Category: RWBY
Genre: I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Not Beta Read, Other, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28654683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hadesisqueer/pseuds/hadesisqueer
Summary: Yang is in pain, and Ruby notices.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 2
Kudos: 105





	Phantom

**Author's Note:**

> So someone on my discord server pointed out that they couldn't find a fic about Ruby helping Yang with phantom pain and I realized I couldn't find it either, so I did the best I could. No incest, you nasties.

So the mission had gone well. 

Taking the Sabyrs down in Mantle had been easy. Ruby had almost felt sorry for the Grimm when she and Yang finally got them. At least until one of them had tried to jump on a civilian. Then they just finished them.

As they took the airship back to Atlas, Ruby called Weiss. She and Blake had gone with Marrow and Elm to supervise a dust transport that morning. Ruby knew how awfully boring was to spend so many hours at the tundra, so for once, she had switched places with Blake. Blake was a bit weird about the whole separating from Yang thing, and so did Yang (Ruby assumed it was because what happened the last time the separated- and because they liked each other; at this point, it was kind of obvious. Even her friend from team CFVY, Fox Alistair, would see it. And he was blind.), but they both accepted without problem. Which was good. Ruby had missed spending time alone with her sister.

“Hey, we're done with our thing.” Ruby told Weiss. “How are you two doing with the transport?”

“We had a problem with a couple of Megoliaths, but we're fine.” Weiss replied. “It'll take us a little longer to get there, though.”

“That's fine. We'll wait for you guys before we choose the movie.” Yang said.

“Yeah. Tell Blake that we're not watching any horror movies again, though.”

They heard Blake grunt over the scroll, and they both laughed.

“All right, see you guys at the dorm.” Weiss said.

“See you.” Both Yang and Ruby said at unison, before they hung up.

When they finally got to the room, first thing they did was to leave their weapons on the desk. Yang stretched herself.

“Okay, who showers first?”

“Me.” Ruby said, getting a towel. “You always take ages.”

“Excuse me, you think keeping this as shiny as gold is easy?” Yang pointed at her long, blonde hair.

“Get a haircut, then.”

“Never, you fiend.”

Ruby giggled. Truth be said, she always took a while in the shower too, but that day was so tired that all she wanted was to finish and put on her pajamas. And so she did. 

She entered the bathroom, took a short shower, dried her hair and put on the white shirt and the sweatpants, and then she finally got out.

“Okay, your turn-” She began to say, but cut herself off when she saw Yang sitting on Weiss' bed, curled up against the wall and hiding her face. “Yang?” Ruby got closer. “Yang, what is going on?”

When she saw her, she noticed that she was breathing heavily, as if air wasn't enough for her, and Yang slightly lifted her face to look at her, Ruby saw tears in her eyes.

“Yang, what's going on? Why are you crying?”

“It's fine.” Yang replied, shaking her head.

“No, it's not. Tell me what's wrong, please. I can help you!” Ruby said, sitting on the bed with her.

“It's just-” Yang took a deep breath. “Can- can you- can you help me take it off?”

“Take what off?” 

“The arm... The prosthetic arm...” Yang grunted, clenching her teeth. Her left arm was shaking like crazy. “I can't...”

“Oh!” Ruby said, and immediately started to help her take the metal arm off her stump. She did it as careful as she could, seeing how it looked like it was hurting Yang. 

She left it at the desk, right beside Ember Celica and Crescent Rose. Then she got back to Yang, who was still taking deep breaths, with her eyes closed, as she moved what she had left of her right arm slowly.

“Yang, what is it? Do you need something else?” Ruby asked, sitting again on the bed.

Yang shook her head.

“No, no... it's fine. It's just phantom pain.”

Ruby tilted her head to the side, confused.

“What is that?” She asked.

Yang opened her eyes.

“Sometimes, you can feel a lost limb even if it's not there anymore. And sometimes it starts hurting like you still had it... Like someone was... stabbing you, or shooting you.”

“That sounds... terrible.” Ruby said, worried. “Does it happen very often?”

“Sometimes. The cold of Solitas doesn't really help, I guess.”

“You want me to...?”

“No, no, the heating is fine.” Yang assured her. “Anyway, this time got a bit worse because I had...” Yang grunted. “I had a flashback.”

“A flashback of what?” Ruby asked.

“That-- that night. The night Adam-- the night he--” 

Yang didn't need finish for Ruby to know what night was she referring to. Yang sighed.

“I know he can't hurt me anymore. Blake and I-- we-- we made sure he wouldn't.” She said. “He's gone. And I thought that maybe, because he couldn't hurt me now-- Maybe I wouldn't have those flashbacks again. But I guess I was wrong.” Yang lowered her head.

Ruby pursed her lips.

“Those flashbacks... The pain... How long has it been happening?”

“Since the Fall. I started having nightmares and--” Yang grimaced. “Well, then the nightmares turned into flashbacks. And the phantom pain appeared too.”

“And has it been going on after we reunited?”

Yang froze for a second, and ended up nodding.

“Yang! Why didn't you tell me?” Ruby said. “I could have helped you! Or try, at least.”

“I just didn't want to worry you.”

Ruby frowned. She knew Yang was really protective of her, and that she often put Ruby before her and her needs. And just now was she finding out that she had also pretending to be okay all the time, even if she was actually in real pain. So Ruby wouldn't noticed.

She grabbed Yang's left hand.

“Yang, I really, really appreciate everything you do for me. I know that sometimes it looks like I don't realize, but I do. I really do.” Ruby told her. “But I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to pretend to be fine all the time so you don't worry me. So, when you need my help... Please ask for it. I'm not a child, okay? I can help you.”

Yang lifted her head to look at her. There were still tears on her eyes. She smiled lightly, though, and nodded.

“Does it still hurt?” Ruby asked her, pointing at her arm. Yang nodded.

“A bit. But it's getting better.”

“Do you need something? An aspirin? Anything?”

“No, no, it's fine.” Yang said. “Actually, can you just lie here with me for a while?” 

“On Weiss' bed? She'll strangle both of us.”

“Nah, she can't even reach my neck.” Yang said, and Ruby laughed harder than she intended.

“Okay, you're right.” She said, and Ruby lay in the bed with her. She hugged Yang, who did so as well, humming. 

They were silent for a long minute, until Ruby said:

“You think it'll take them too long to be here?”

“Not really. They texted me while you were in the shower. They were in the airship already.”

“Who texted you?”

“Um, Blake.” Yang answered, and wrinkled her nose when she noticed Ruby snort. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Ruby said, but she was laughing.

“Nope, now you're gonna say why you're laughing, c'mon.”

“You and Blake... You're really close, aren't you?”

“I mean... yeah. We're partners. And best friends.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Ruby snorted again, and Yang frowned.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you and Blake are as friendly with each other as Ren and Nora are.”

“Everyone knows Nora and Ren like each--” Yang interrupted herself, her eyes wide. “Nope. No, no, no, Ruby, it's not like that. Blake and I are just friends, that's it.”

“Then why are you blushing so much?”

“I'm not blushing!” Yang said, blushing even harder.

“Blake and Yang, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Ruby started to sing.

“Shut up!” Yang told her, trying to cover her mouth with her left hand.

“... first comes love, then comes marriage...!”

“I'm gonna kill you!”

“WHY ARE YOU WEARING BOOTS ON MY BED?” They were both startled by Weiss' voice, and Ruby fell off the bed.

“Ouch” was all she said. She heard Blake laughing.


End file.
